Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The British mission here celebrated the 93rd birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, at the British Consulate General premises recently.

British Consul General Seif Usher told Saudi Gazette: “The annual Queen’s Birthday Party is an opportunity each year for the United Kingdom to celebrate this happy occasion with our friends in Jeddah, and from across the western region of Saudi Arabia.”

Usher added: “The United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, of course, enjoy strong bilateral relations, and in Jeddah, we continue to see the strength of those commercial, educational and cultural ties especially. It was a pleasure to host so many friends from the local community at the British Consulate General this year.”

The ceremony showcased the aesthetic cultural variety within the United Kingdom itself, which is formed by four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. During the ceremony, the British Council displayed a photographic exhibition showing the different areas of the UK, furthermore, Scottish music was played using the famous Scottish pipe, plus several British automobile companies displayed their latest models such as Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, and Jaguar.

It must be noted that the current Monarch of the UK, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne at the age of 25 following the death of her father, King George VI, on Feb. 6, 1952. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on June 2, 1953 at Westminster Abbey, London. She was born on April 21, 1926, and is the longest-serving current head of state.

This celebration was attended by the Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia, Simon Collis, plus Ambassador Jamal Balkhoyor, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Makkah Region branch, the CEO of flyadeal Con Korfiatis besides many distinguished diplomats, corporate executives, businessmen, British citizens, journalists & government officials.